MDA Technologies 2/2016

It’s time for Hannover

It’s time for Hannover again Sushen Doshi From industrialized countries to emerging ones, from engineers to the CEOs of industry giants, all of them want to explore the opportunities for more integrated, faster and individualized production processes. And they very well know that the Germans are already far down this path, this is why they turn to German engineering and particularly to Hannover Messe for their expertise. Author: Sushen Doshi correspondent India for MDA TECHNOLOGIES In 2015, Hannover Messe made quite a splash in the world of industries with more than 220,000 trade visitors, 6500 exhibitor companies and a new resurgent India as its partner country. Now it’s 2016, and it’s time again for Hannover Messe, the world’s leading trade fair for industrial technology, to mould the vision of ‘intelligent factory’. In the coming years, the industrialized world is looking towards a radical change, in which entire operating flows will be transformed. Almost all industrial companies have recognized this and want to digitize their entire value chain by 2020. German industrial sector alone is investing tens of billions of Euros for this transformation. Those who already produce digitalized products have a clear competitive advantage. Hannover Messe: pioneering the Industry 4.0 era Industry 4.0 has quickly made a profound impact on every industry sector. With “Integrated Industry – Discover Solutions” as its keynote theme, Hannover Messe 2016, aims to strike a chord among exhibitors and attendees from industry, businesses and government. This international event gives high emphasis on the digitalization of manufacturing systems and intelligent energy systems. In Hannover, visitors from the manufacturing industries can learn step by step how to convert their production plants into the intelligent factories of tomorrow. In this factory, information will be seamlessly exchanged between machines and products, ensuring optimal results and peak efficiency. What previously was a vision is now taking shape into a reality. For the first time, the smart-factory solutions show cased here can be applied for direct implementation at customers’ plants. Digital integration is becoming a key aspect of modern manufacturing, and this trend is set to continue at a rapid pace. This trade fair will give this trend further momentum with new technologies and new business models. For example: with predictive maintenance, machine and plant engineers embed sensors in machinery NEWS AND MARKETS

so that it can indicate that it will soon require servicing. Using this data, the machinery manufacturer can build his after-sales business by offering timely maintenance services to factory operators. Industrial supply show The demand for industrial products and processes to become more efficient and durable is ever increasing. State-of-the art drive technology, power transmission and control systems, advanced hydraulics and pneumatics along with workpieces, components and systems that can be seamlessly integrated into an intelligent manufacturing process are the key to tomorrow’s smart factories. At Hannover Messe’s Industrial Supply show, international as well as German suppliers demonstrate not just a wide range of engineering products and systems but also new materials, process technologies, lightweight construction and subcontracting solutions along the entire industrial value chain. This show is supported by the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), and it covers issues of global interest to the industry. For German visitors, it provides a good opportunity for exchanging ideas and networking with specialists from across the globe. For international visitors, it is a chance to interact with their German counterparts to expand their concepts of Industry 4.0 and discover solutions to make production processes ready for tomorrow. Automation trade show Every sector and every field of modern industry is busy in pondering on how to take advantage of the latest automation technologies at their disposal. With the need for individual and flexible production on the rise, the demand for automation products, both factory and process automation will increase too. The industrial automation market is broadly differentiated on basis of 3 points: the geographical market share, the product portfolio, the breadth and depth of the product portfolio. In all the 3 aspects Asian automation companies, mainly from China and Taiwan are gaining more and more relevance mainly on account of their price competitiveness. So what does this mean for western and in particularly German companies, both small and large? It means, they have to n Broaden their customer base and reach newer markets n Broaden their range of products and services by adding more valuable features n Compete in upwards portfolio as well as lower, for example: companies in the business of field devices and components should also start engaging in the control systems, HMI, and even MES product range. n And most importantly, develop newer products and technology portfolio via innovation. And this is where Hannover Messe comes into picture. To discover solutions and know more about what the German and global automation companies have to offer, Industrial Automation trade show is the right place and 25th April 2016 is the right time to be. Along with Industry 4.0 technology and its intelligent products, IA has a broad product portfolio on display, like Automatic assembly and linear positioning systems, Electronic, opto-electronic components and equipments, Sensors, actuators, control systems like PLC, Scada and DCS, communication systems like FieldBus, Ethernet and ProfiBus, Data capturing and identification systems, Industrial image processing, Measuring and monitoring technology and last but not the least, Industrial Robotics. Digital factory To talk of smart and intelligent automation technologies without software and IT is just unthinkable. The Digital factory show at the Hannover Messe is a permanent feature and also the nerve center A brief history of Hannover Messe The year was 1947. In postwar Germany’s ravaged economy, food supplies were scarce and industry was weaker than ever. It was necessary to find a symbol that represented the passion and the economic potential of German workers and entrepreneurs. The company known as “Deutsche Messe- und Ausstellungs - AG” was born – and with it, the “Hannover Export Fair 1947”. Approximately 736,000 visitors from 53 countries flocked to Hannover for the 21 days of the fair. Export contracts were signed and sealed to the tune of close to US$ 32 million. Over the years, the event became symbolic of the German economic miracle. As early as 1950, foreign exhibitors also took part in the event. In 1961, the name was changed: “Hannover-Messe” makes it immediately clear how proud the city was of the role it played in the postwar industrial upturn – a pride which remains intact to this day. of the industrial software landscape. This show presents solutions for software issues at every stage of industrial process chain – from computer aided engineering (CAE), manufacturing execution systems (MES) and additive manufacturing (AM) to product life cycle management (PLM). The integration of different IT system across business enterprises is a common theme of all the displays at the Digital factory. Along with wide range of products, the digital factory also hosts the CAE forum, the MES conference and the Additive manufacturing plaza, where you can attend sessions and interact with representatives and academicians from top research institutes and universities. Integrated energy: intelligent energy systems In the ‘Integrated Industry’ concept, integration is not just confined to production and operations but it also includes industrial energy systems. Today, energy generation, distribution and consumption is more complex than ever. “Under the catchphrase ‘Integrated Energy’, Hannover Messe presents solutions for connecting the entire energy chain. Future energy systems will require increasingly detailed solutions that interact with each other via an intelligent system. An increasing number of decentralized power generators – including wind, solar, hydroelectric and biogas plants – are being linked up to the grid. The challenge of combining all these forms of energy generation into a single intelligent power grid, and distributing this power adequately to consumers, has been impressively addressed by the many exhibitors showcasing their pioneering solutions for the energy sector at Hannover Messe. Partner Country: USA In Europe, all the talk in the business and industry is Industry 4.0, while the Americans speak of ‘advanced manufacturing’ and ‘industrial internet’, but the meaning of this trend is the same: the factory is going digital; the IT, the internet and the industry are converging. The world’s leading IT nation, the United States, at the world’s biggest industrial trade show, the Hannover Messe, seems an excellent fit. As partner country for 2016, the focal themes of US presentation are the Internet of things and Platform for cloud computing, along with PLM and CAx. Photographs: Deutsche Messe AG www.hannovermesse.de MDATechnologies 2/2016